Omaha daily bee., 1887-12-05
Leland hotel, Chicago.
DISCOVERY OF GOLD
n Missourian ia Said TO Have Found
the Metal in 1S48.

Helena Independents: During the
years lSil-42, near the town of Edin-
boro, Scotland county, Mo-, lived
Thomas Monroe. The son of a farmer,
Tom was handsome. Incorporating
Young man. strictly honorable, but ad-
dictcd to sporting, such as horse racing,
card playing, etc. He was of temper
ate habits. but lacking in general edu-
cation. At or about the time he at
tained his majority there fell to him
from his fathers estate u sum OF money
amounting to about l,5GO, which in
those days was considered II snug little
fortune. Being of IL sporting DISPOSE
tiOn. at the end of year or so THOMAS
found himself about 5000 or 5000 in debt.
Being of highstrung and sensitive
nature, and no way of cancelling this
Indebtedness, between two days Thomas
took French leave of his old home and
repaired to parts unknown. Many
were the conjectures of the neigh.
bors as to what had become of Tom"
knowing ones predicted he would turn
up again. In u little over year this
proved to be the case. One morning
Thomas appeared among his old asso-
ciates. we'll dressed and with plenty OF
money. Upon inquiry it was learned
that he had gone up to the lead mines
of Wisconsin and Illinois and that he
."struck lead" from which he had
made considerable money. He called
in his creditors, paid every claim in full
with interest, and for the time being
was hero among the people of his old
homo. He finally returned to the scene
of his mining operations near Elizabeth
town, in las the writer thinks) Joe
Davies county, Illinois. Among others
who accompanied him were ,lo-
seph Davis and wife, John Curtin,
Mr.. Poole and Thomas Low. This
was during the winter of 1S4i-5.
Two good lead mines were dis
covered and developed by this party
during this winter. In the spring. OF
ls45 Thomas Monroe disposed OF his in
terest in the property for quite sum
of money. Being of restless, nervous
disposition, and of daring turn of
mind. and having acquired that taste
| for following the fortunes OF II miner, he
| longed for more extensive field for eX-
| plorations. AS the Oregon excitement
| was then at its height, he outtitted with
teams and supplies, and early in the
summer of '45 started for the Pacific
| coast. taking a number of friends along
! with him. Instead of going to Oregon,
after arriving at the forks OF the
road. he directed his course to what is
l now knOWu uS StlilVi "hiSh "''o
| reached after many hardships, advent
| ures and troubles with the rowing bands
| of wild Indians. After dispOsing of tho
goods he had brought with him advan-
tageously' he again turned prospcctor
and explorer.
He prospected and explored the coast
for 700 miles. Being Il close observer
and having been a miner. he had good
idea of the prospective mineral wealth
of the country. During these travels he
was brought into contact with those In
dians and Jesuit fathers who knew o.
the existence Of gold, fact that oul
hero SO ascertained. Portions OF the
wears lS45-46 he spent in prospecting a'
above stated, finally buying heard o
Mexican bronchos, with which, with ;
quantity of gold dust, he returned over
land with eight others and arrived il
| Scotland county, Mo-, in October, 1916
In speaking of the country he ha(
visited he described many prominen
natural features that have since beer
identified. He described Suffers fort
the sawmill and other things connected
with Captain Suffers works, where tw'
years later Marshall picked u
the nugget in the tail race
which in history is put down as the frs
discovery Of gold in California. Mr.
Monroe also stated that he believed tina
for 600 or 700 miles along the cOas
range, in the near future, there woul
be the greatest gold producing countr
, | since King Solomon's day, and those c
| his friends who were miners had bette
prepare for the exodus to that country
he also prophesied that the Unite
! J States government would win the coun
= | try by the Mexican war. Mr.. Monro
= soon returned to California, but cam
l in,
/ bought farm near st. Joseph, wher
Q the horo of this story may yet be alive
and doubtless some of the followin
named old neighbors of his or their dt
scendants are yet living and can corrol
orate these facts, viz: Edward Frencl
Elijah Mock, John or Jesse Mcpherson
!, Samuel or Burrcll Cecil, Major Corn
of Memphis, Mo-; Charles Meety, Judg
Knott Ia relative of Proctor Knott) an
Benjamin Davis, some of whom must "
!, be alive and reside ut or near eithC
y Edinboro or Memphis, Mo. Colonel 4
:, G.. Darby, another witness and a prom
q nent politician, well known to ProctC
Knott. when last heard from lived
Q Napa City. Napa county, Cal. In I'll
= summer of 1854 Thomas Monroe Marie
q a beautiful and accomplished girl who
maiden name was Amanda Fairbank
;, The wedding took place in the narr
K tors presence ut Elizabethtown of A
d pletown, in the lead mines OF Illinoi
" ( This was before Mr.. MonrOe's fir
a visit to California. During his sc
d ond trip to the Pacific coast, M
Monroe explored portion of Or
gon. Some time in 1919 or Is
he and his party had battle wi
the Rogue River Indians, and in u
70 | fight Mr. Monroe killed the chief. III
J. narrator of the foregoing scrap OF hi
As tory is an honorable, truthful old ge
c. tleman, who has passed the three-sco
rs notch OF life. and for over forty yea
Il, has been miner. He has prospects
,e and mined with Thomas Monroe, al
g. handled and sampled the gold broug
he to him faom California in 1916. ~
Dy narrator has in his possession an aut
p graph letter from Bancroft, the h
lg torian, begging for these facts, viii
I'd for the first time now appear in pub
n print. The question of the tir,t disco
cry of gold in California is of1eso mu
IA importance in our history that your &C
On respondent has taken extra pains
nd give names, dates and places, so tn
sh future historians can call to their Il
10 those having cognizance of the fa'
sy given in the foregoing narration.